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F. E. KEY.

GRAPPLING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 21. 191B.

1 ,3 1 8,087 Patented Oct. 7, 1919.

sT s AT Eric.

FREDERICK E. KEY, 0F sr. LOUIS, MISSOURI, nssrenon T0 KEY BoILER EQUIPMENT COMPANY, or s1. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION or MISSOURI.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 27, 1918. Serial No. 236,911.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK E. KEY, a citizen of the United States of America, a resident of the city of St. Louis, State of Missouri, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Grappling Devices, of which the following is a full, clear, and eX- act description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in grappling devices, one of the objects being to produce a simple and efficient device of this kind which can be very easily and quickly attached to and removed from the object to be secured.-

More specifically stated, an object is to produce an improved grappling device for securing tubular articles having circular openmgs. The new devlce preferably comprises a plurality of clutch members adaptits axis to allow the device to be inserted into, interlocked with, or removed from a hollow object. A spring is preferably associated with thepivoted clutch member so a tapered i shown in elevation.

. Fig. II is an enlarged top or plan view,

hends changes, variations and modifications V wh1ch come withinthescope of the claims hereunto appended.

Figure I illustrates the grappling device as used in applying plugs to a steam'boiler, the elements of the boiler beingshowniin section and the grappling device, being illustrating-the grappling device appliedto plu ri 111 is 5 see ele ati n, p y n sec:

tion, showing the grappling device arranged within the tapered plug.

Fig. IV is a side elevation of the grappling device looking in the direction indicated by the arrow IV, Fig. II.

The grappling device herein shown can be conveniently used for the purpose of attaching hollow boiler plugs to a flexible lifting device whereby the plugs are elevated anddrawn into the openings to be closed. I am aware that the device can be used for various other purposes, and itis to be understood that the invention is not limited to a device for lifting objects having tapered openings.

The boiler herein shown in Fig. I is pro- Patented. Oct. '7, 1919.

vided with hand holes 1 to be'closedby hollow tapered plugs A, which are primarily inserted through a relatively large opening 2 near the bottom of the boiler.

The grappling device is suspended from a chain 3, and it preferably comprises a pair of rigid sheet metal clutch wings 4 formed integral with each other and arranged at an angle to each other, as shown most clearly in Fig, II. The sheet of metal is deflected to form the diverging wings 4, and it is preferably punched to provide a pair of pivotreceiving ears 5 and 6. A pivot 7, preferably an ordinary cotter pin, passes through the .ears 5 and 6. 8 designates a clutch wing having pivot-receiving extensions which lie between the ears 5 and '6 (Fig. IV), said wing 8 being pivotally supported by the pin 7. A spring 9, coiled around the pivot pin 7, has an extended end 10 which engages the pivoted clutch wing S and an extended end 11 engaging one of the wings 4.. This spring is under tension and it normally retains the clutch wing 8 in engagement with a stop member 12 '(Figs; II and IV) projecting from the ear 5.

I The pivot 7 is eccentric relative to the pered opening in the hollow plug A. This clutch wing. 8Vcan be very easily moved by hand, and when released it will be thrown by the spring 9 to the position shown by full lines in Fig. II.

The outer edges of the clutch wings are,

preferably inclined as shown at X in Figs. III and IV, so as to conform approximately to the inclination of the tapered inner face of the hollow plug A. hen the device is in its expanded condition, 2'. a, when the pivoted wing 8 is extended as shown by full lines in Fig. II, the inclined edges X of the clutch wings lie very close to the inner face of the hollow tapered plug. The grappling device is then interlocked with, or attached to, the tapered plug A, and it cannot be withdrawn while the clutch wing 8 occupies .the position shown by full lines inFig. II. However, the pivoted clutch wing can be very easily shifted tothe position shown by dot anddash lines (Fig. II) for the purpose of removing the grappling device. If the axis of the pivot 7 was concentric with the center of the circular opening in the plug A, the pivoted wing 8 would not swing toward and away from the inner face of the circular plug, but by locating the pivot eccentrically to the extremities of the clutch wings, or to the center of the plug, the pivoted wing 8 can be moved away from the inner face'of the plug, as suggested by arrows in FigJIIQ Shoulders 13, formed on the clutch wings, preferably extend over the upper edge of the plug A (Fig. III), and the top faces of the extended upper portions of the clutch wings are preferably inclined upwardly and inwardly from said shoulders 13, so that the device can be easily pulled through one of the plug-receiving holes 1, shown inFig. I.

It will now'be understood that the grappling device, consisting of a plurality of simple clutch members, may be securely attached to the hollow object by merely holding the pivoted wing 8 in the position shown by dot and dash lines (Fig. II), then inserting the device into the hollow object and thereafter releasing the pivoted wing to allow the spring 9 to automatically shift the pivoted wing to its locking position, thereby securely interlocking the device with the hollow plug.

After the grappling device has been dropped through one of the openings 1 and interlocked with a tapered plug. A (Fig. I), the extended upper portions of the device projectfrom the relatively small end of the plug, and owing to the peculiar manner in which these extended portions are formed, they serve as means for guiding the plug and grappling device into the opening to be closed by the plug, and the plug can be easily inserted bymerely pulling the chain 3.

I claim 1. In a self-locking expanding grappling device adapted to be inserted into and interlocked with the object to be secured, a pair of rigid sheet metal clutch wings formed integral with each other, pivot receiving cars projecting from said clutch wings, a pivot pin mounted in said cars, a movable clutch wing mounted on said pivot, the axis of the pivot being eccentric relative to the extremities of the clutch wings so that the pivoted clutch wing may be moved on its axis to allow the device to be secured in and removed from a circular opening, a spring whereby the pivoted clutch member is moved to its interlocking position, said spring being coiled around said pivot,and a stop whereby the pivoted clutch member is stopped in its interlocking position.

2. In a self-locking grappling device for securing objects having tapered openings, a series of clutch wings adapted to be inserted into the tapered openings, an eccentric pivot whereby one of said clutch wings is con nected to the others, the pivoted clutch wing being movable onits axis to attach and release the grappling device, and a spring tending to retain said pivoted clutch wing in its attaching position. j

3. In a device for insertinghollow tapering boiler plugs into the openings to be'closed,a grappling device small enough to be inserted through the openings and dropped into the boiler, said grappling device comprisingexpanding clutch members c'ooperable with the tapering inner faces of the hollow plugs, said clutch members having extended upper margins adapted to project from the open ends of the tapering plugs, said-upper margins being extended laterally to provide shoulders adapted to overlie the edges of the open ends of the plugs and the top faces of said upper margins being inclined up wardly and inwardly from said shoulders so as to guide the plugs and grappling device into said openings, and a flexible lifting device whereby the grappling device and p the tapering plugs are lifted and pulled into stantially parallel with the axis of the circular object, and a spring tending to retain said pivoted clutch member in its attaching position. i

5. In a self-locking expanding grappling device adapted to be inserted into and interlocked with the object to be secured, a plu- 'rality of clutch members, an eccentrically whereby said pivoted clutch member is mounted pivot whereby one of said clutch moved to its interlocking position, and a 10 members is supported, the eccentrically stop whereby said pivoted clutch member is pivoted clutch member being movable on its stopped in its interlocking position.

axis to allow the device to be inserted into In testimony that I claim the foregoing and removed from a circular opening, the I hereunto aflix my signature.

axis of said pivot being approximately parallel with said circular opening, a spring FREDERICK E. KEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

